Wayne, Michigan - It could have been another bloodbath, one of those headlines America has read far too often. But on Sunday morning, a potential mass shooting was stopped at the last second: outside CrossPointe Community Church in the small town of Wayne, an armed man opened fire - but was struck by a pickup truck driven by a church member and ultimately shot dead by the church’s security staff. Around 11 a.m., about 150 worshippers had already taken their seats inside the church when some witnesses saw a man speeding across the parking lot. He got out of the car - wearing a tactical vest, armed with a rifle and a handgun. Without hesitation, he began shooting. One man was hit in the leg, but according to police, his injuries are not life-threatening. Police Chief Ryan Strong described the dramatic minutes at an evening press conference: “A parishioner struck the gunman with his vehicle while the gunman repeatedly fired at the car. At least two church staff members then opened fire on the attacker and inflicted the fatal wounds.”
Authorities have since identified the suspected shooter as Brian Browning, a 31-year-old white man from Romulus, Michigan. According to police, there were no known connections to the church community. Initial evidence suggests that Browning was experiencing a mental health crisis. The motive remains unclear. Investigations are ongoing. “We are deeply grateful for the heroic actions of the church’s staff,” Chief Strong said. “They undoubtedly saved many lives and prevented a large-scale tragedy.” The church is located about 25 miles west of Detroit, in a town with approximately 17,000 residents. According to the CrossPointe Community Church website, Sunday services begin at 10:45 a.m. - at the time of the shooting, many attendees were already in the building.
Eyewitness Wendy Bodin was one of the first to react to the events. “I heard a loud boom. When I looked outside, I saw a man lying stretched out on the grass. At first, I thought he had crashed or was injured,” she told WXYZ-TV. “Then another woman saw the man, pointed at him and said, ‘Oh my God, call 911!’” The investigation is in full swing. According to Deputy Director Dan Bongino, FBI leadership immediately dispatched support teams to assist. Even hours after the incident, it was too early to determine the exact background of the attack, said Deputy Chief Finley Carter III. The church has not yet responded to inquiries from the Associated Press. What remains is a moment of terror - and the certainty that, through courageous intervention, something far worse was prevented. In a time when weapons repeatedly enter sacred spaces, one question remains: how much longer?
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